THANK YOU everyone for your patience! My week was so busy, I had hoped to get an update up earlier. Hopefully this week is calmer and I can. Thanks again for reading and for your awesome support, I love every review! Hope you enjoy chapter 14.

-Gret

Chapter 14

Booth was cursing Bones's voicemail the fifth time it picked up. His heart was racing. He grabbed his cell again, this time calling Agent Weil.

"What did the letter say?" he asked the moment the agent answered. He was breathless as he headed towards the Jeffersonian, praying silently that his partner was there safe and sound, that she had merely forgotten to carry her cell phone with her at this very moment.

"Booth, sorry to have scared you before," Agent Weil said in a rush. "I thought Dr. Brennan had told you about the letter."

Booth frowned, his eyebrows knit together. "She didn't," he said quietly. The fact that she didn't tell him about a threat on her life bowled him over. How could she not mention it?

He wondered if it had anything to do with Hannah's orders for Bones to try to stay out of his way as much as possible. But… the letter had to do with the case. Though it had more to do with her safety – and that was personal to him. Bones knew that. By not telling him until she knew more, she was keeping her promise to Hannah.

He chided himself for being so blinded, for letting someone into his life who could ever do that, ever tell a friend of his that she was basically not welcome, that she… didn't fit into their new existence. How could he not have foreseen that she was that insecure, that vindictive – that out of touch with his feelings about the people in his life. Especially Bones. Hannah might not have known everything, granted. But she sure as hell knew that his partner was also one of his closest friends, that he would lay his life down for her. She knew they were close. And she tried to pull them as far apart as she could – at a time when things were complicated enough!

"Okay, here it is," Agent Weil said. "'Dear Dr. Temperance Brennan. Cease your investigation of Elisa Roberts' death immediately. This is not a threat; it's a promise that if you don't leave this case alone, you'll be sorry'. It was signed 'a very annoyed killer'," he finished.

Booth let out a low breath. He wanted to kill whoever wrote that letter to her. He wanted to look at his partner, know she was safe… and then yell at her for not knowing him better! She should have known to tell him right away about this. She should have known that no matter what Hannah said, the two of them were solid. Always. She should never for a second have questioned her place in his life. And she should have known that her safety and the safety of their baby was more important to him than anything! Definitely more important than the petty issues Hannah brought up!

Now he was angry in addition to being scared as hell. He prayed he'd have the chance – soon – to yell at his partner for not knowing better.

After hanging up with Agent Weil, he called Bones's number again. No answer. Cursing loudly, he threw the phone down on the passenger seat as he pulled into the garage at the Jeffersonian.

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Brennan heard her phone ringing but it was out of reach. It had fallen to the floor on the passenger's side of the car. Normally, she'd quickly turn her head and lean to get it – even while driving. But now… she was responsible for another human being. She felt like she needed to be more careful in general. Plus, her doctor had told her as much. Dr. Ying had "sensed" that she put herself in "far too much danger working so closely with the FBI on a daily basis" – and "recommended" that she change as many of her "careless habits" and "dangerous instincts" as possible. While the conversation had annoyed her at the time, she knew the doctor was right. Things had to keep changing. She had to box down some of her independent instincts because someone else fully depended on her now. And she loved the baby so much that she really was happy to work on changing her ways.

Plus, she realized that Booth was probably the one calling her. He'd been so angry when he'd stormed into his office, she wasn't sure what was going on. He had demanded that she leave. He'd barely looked at her. He'd just wanted her gone. The sooner the better. His eyes were fixed on one woman only. His girlfriend. His girlfriend who was making Brennan's life so much more complicated. She clearly wanted what was best for Booth. But… it still stung, when Brennan was honest with herself. It just stung when she looked beyond the logic and felt the emotional implications of Hannah's words.

Yes, she didn't know what her partner wanted now, as the phone rang and rang, but she was worried. What if he wanted to end their partnership because everything was so complicated now? What if he wanted to tell her that he proposed to Hannah? All she knew was that he was angry, at her it seemed, and wanted to talk about something serious with the woman he loved.

This conversation could wait – and it wasn't worth reaching for the phone.

A sudden light in her rearview mirror caught her eyes; she immediately spotted the blue and red lights of a police car behind her. She looked at the speedometer only to realize she was going five miles per hour over the speed limit. She pulled over, slightly annoyed, but understanding that the cop was just doing a job.

As she waited for him to approach, she reached for the phone. She could do that in a stopped position. She placed the phone in her pocket and rolled her window down as the cop neared.

"Hi, officer. I realize that I was going a little bit above the speed limit and I apologize. That was wrong. The law is clearly stated and my car clearly states my speed so logically, I should have—"

"Please step out of the car," he said gruffly, taking a step back to leave room for her to open the door.

"I don't understand," she said.

"Ma'am, step out of your vehicle," he repeated more firmly.

She had seen this on television – on a documentary about police officers called "COPS". In an instant, she realized that he thought she was inebriated. She didn't think she looked disheveled or sounded incoherent, but maybe to him, she did.

"I haven't been drinking, officer. I work with the FBI in fact…"

"Out of the car now."

Fear clenched at her insides. Something was wrong. She didn't want to get out of the car. Her instinct was to drive away. To slam on the gas and just go, calling Booth and asking him what to do. But… this guy would jump into his own vehicle and chase her. He had a cop car. They went faster than her car. And… if she crashed…

The impact, the airbag… she looked down at her stomach as tears sprung to her eyes. She couldn't take that chance.

She reluctantly opened her door and stepped out and before she could release a breath, she was staring into the barrel of the man's gun.

"Follow me. Any hesitation and I will use this," he ordered. He quickly stepped behind her and led her towards his car. She chided herself for taking the long way to the Jeffersonian. She had merely wanted more time to think and clear her head. But as a result, she was on this abandoned old road and no cars were driving by, witnessing what this man was doing.

She wanted to kick him in the groin. But she didn't want him to do anything back. She wanted to fight him like she would under any other circumstances. But… she could feel this connection within, a reminder that if she tried anything, she was putting another life in danger. Not just her own.

The gun poking her in the back, however, was a staunch reminder that she was already in danger. And if this was the same man who killed Elisa, he was more than capable of torturing and killing a pregnant woman. She had no desire to go down without a fight and this, really, was her only chance. With that, she swiveled around in a fluid move, years of karate coming back in a flash and flood of adrenaline. She expertly swung her leg high, kicking the man in the face. As he reacted to the kick, she took the opportunity to kick him as hard as she could in the groin.

He fell, grabbing onto Brennan and yanking her down with him. He immediately started fighting back full force. She instinctively rolled into a ball – the only way she could think to protect her stomach, her baby.

As his fist connected with her face and her arms, she struggled to untangle herself from his grip. Getting a few good kicks in, she freed herself and nearly made it to her car. But he pulled her to the ground once again, pulled on her hair and yanked her head back, slowly.

She couldn't see his face, but she could hear his acid tone as he removed the safety from his gun with a loud click. "This is not my fault. These are my orders. Plus, you've really annoyed me. You deserve to die. Bitch."

Her heart froze as she then heard the unmistakable sound of a gun firing before her world went black.